


Crash and Burn

by Quarra



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Battle of the Snark, Cranky Loki, Eventual Romance, F/M, Feels, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of smack talk, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, more tags will be added as needed, not AOU compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-12 12:02:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5665381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quarra/pseuds/Quarra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a disastrous run in with the Avengers and SHIELD, Loki ends up badly wounded in middle-of-nowhere Montana. There he finds some unlikely aid in the form of a too kind lady who simply won't put up with his crap, but still might be too nice for her own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Don't See That Every Day

**Author's Note:**

> Eeeeeek, I'm still so new to this!

SOMEWHERE IN MONTANA...

 

Emily watched the fiery comets fall from the sky towards the back acreage of her property. It was midday and she was out on her semi-regular tour of the beautiful vistas the land had to offer her. She signaled to her Friesian to head toward the mountains, toward where the largest object fell. Curiosity nibbled at the edges of her mind; anything to keep her occupied, even if it did mean an extra hour or two riding off the beaten path.

The journey there was at a fairly easy pace. The air smelled of early summer grasses and something ineffably glorious that seemed to roll through the wooded hills and quietly rumbling streams. Emily moved away from North Chicago six years ago. After the accident she simply wanted to be alone, and if there was one thing Montana had, it was an abundance of space to be alone. Yellow breasted songbirds chirped at her as she road by. Not a single one of them cared that half of her face was covered with terrible knotted scars. The trees didn't mind that she was always sad. The mountains would endure her tears forever. Not a single thing here reminded her of what she had lost. Sometimes it even helped a little.

A trail of smoke lead the way toward the landing site for the debris. At first she assumed it was just a comet. These things happened sometimes and it made the geologist in her long for her very own piece of extraterrestrial rock, a chondrite. As she got closer, the smoke told a different story. The haze filtering through the ancient trees smelled like burning oil. True extraterrestrial rock wouldn't contain the organic materials that create oil products. A smell of sulfur might be expected, but oil? That had to mean it was something else.

Her mind started to spin up in worry. Perhaps it was a piece of a downed plane, or satellite? Emily picked up the pace. If it was a downed plane, or part of one, there might be people in the wreckage. From the looks of the flame trail on the fall, chances were good she would only find remains. It doesn't matter, She thought. If any part of anyone was in that fire ball, they probably have relatives that need to know. The loss of a loved one is something she knew about on an intimate level. Any resolution is better than no resolution.

She neared the site of the largest crater. Whatever it was had blasted through several trees and ended up smacking square into the side of a hill, right were a tiny stream made a small waterfall. She paused to smother a few smoldering branches with a handkerchief that was doused from her water bottle. Even though the earth was still moist from a rather wet spring, forest fires could be deadly.

When Emily finally found the termination of the crater, she sat stunned for a moment. It wasn't a plane or a satellite, it was a person! A man dressed in green and bronze. Blood matted his black hair and covered nearly all of his pale face. A portion of the contents of the stream steadily poured into the divot the impact made; the water trailed down the man's torso and pooled at the base of the crater before rejoining the main flow.

Emily quickly dismounted and tied up her sturdy mount and carefully walked over to investigate. She slowed down as she neared the strange man. His clothing seemed to double as armor and was made of sturdy leather with ornate plates here and there. The twisting images on the metal featured apples, wolves, and snakes. His face looked like it might have been handsome under all the swelling and blood. He had a strong nose and thin sharp features. That was when she noticed the man was still breathing.

No fucking way! She checked his pulse; he really was alive! She looked around as if suddenly afraid someone was watching. She rolled her eyes a bit at her own silliness, and mentally pulled herself together. Step one, get this guy on to My Lady. She quickly retraced her steps and brought her horse as close as she could to where the man had landed. Once again she was thankful of her love for the sturdy graceful breed. My Lady had been with her for three years now and the great black mare had been one of the bright spots in her life.

This next part was a feat of ingenuity that left her swearing, shivering, and covered with mud. She managed to pick the injured man up in a fireman carry and stepped on to a fallen log. Strong and ugly, that's me, she thought...sonovahbitch, how can such a thin guy weigh so damn much? From there she was able to, somehow, shove / sling the man over My Lady's saddle. After panting for a few minutes and vainly checking to see if there was any sign of her passenger waking, Emily re-positioned the man a bit farther up on the saddle and mounted behind him. Settling herself in for the most uncomfortable ride she had ever done, she kneed My Lady toward home. 

It was slow going and by the time she made it home, it was nearly dusk. My Lady dropped them at the door, then wearily made her way to her stall, snorting with disgust at this whole affair. Emily managed to drag the man into her living room and heaved him up on her couch. She collapsed next to him and checked his pulse with a shaking hand. Still alive, thank the gods. She indulged in a tired sigh before she tossed a blanket on him and quickly went out to tuck in My Lady. The strange man had survived the crash (something she was avoiding thinking about at the moment) and the long ride home, he would survive a few minutes on the couch while she tended to her horse.

After making sure My Lady was brushed, covered in a blanket, and happily munching on hot mash in her stall, Emily went back in side to tend to her guest. Dusk had passed and night set in; night seemed to come up pretty suddenly this close to the mountains, but Emily's work had just begun. She gave herself a quick scrub at the kitchen sink and brought out her substantial first aid kit, a bucket of hot water, and several wash cloths. Montana was a hard place at times, and she had reason to be extra prepared in case of accident. This wasn't really the emergency I thought I might have, she thought ruefully.

She stripped the man of his clothes and muddy filth. The armor she had to painstakingly work off, but the clothes underneath she simply cut off. After cleaning and drying the man, she was able to catalog his injuries. They were extensive, but...from the fall he took, he should be dead. She resolutely ignored that and concentrated on treating her injuries. As she worked, the soft patter of rain began outside. Emily whispered a brief prayer of thanks that she was able to get home before the bad weather started.

The dark haired man looked as if he had been badly beaten. Most of his body was covered in violent bruises and deep cuts. His face was a mask of purple and yellow, and he was damn lucky his nose hadn't been broken. The back of his head had a swollen knot on it that oozed blood now and again. He likely had several cracked ribs, if not actually broken, and one of his arms looked badly bruised and swollen as well. She considered hauling him into her truck to take to a doctor. Emily nibbled her bottom lip as she considered her options. The nearest hospital was over an hour and a half drive away, and the light rain outside had turned into a full on raging thunderstorm. Of his injuries, the one that worried her the most was the head injury. While she considered, she carefully taped up the cuts and bandaged up anything that looked like it could take bandaging.

It was the weather that finally decided her. They could wait out the storm, and if he hadn't woken up by then she'd go straight to a doctor. Until then, she wrapped him up in an electric blanket and microwaved herself some leftovers. It seemed like years since she had last eaten and she practically inhaled the food. After guzzling a huge tumbler of filtered water from the fridge, she fell over onto her favorite easy chair. Emily had every intention of sitting up to watch her guest and to leave as soon as the rain stopped, but the day was a long and exhausting one. She had just enough of a mind left to grab an old blanket and toss it over her damp, muddy jeans before she passed out.

The sun peaked it's first brilliant rays over the eastern horizon and roused her from the deepest sleep she'd had in years. She winced at how sore and grubby she felt, mumbled something completely unintelligible, and rubbed her blurry eyes.

"Good morning," a raspy voice whispered from across the room. Emily became instantly awake and saw her house guest looking at her from across the room. His eyes were the most brilliant green she had ever seen and she sat staring dumbly for a moment, caught in their gaze. And then she remembered the scars on the left side of her face, the dirt still settled in her clothes, and belatedly recalled that her guest was naked under the blanket over there. Turning her head so he wouldn't be able to see the left side of her face, the scarred side, she felt her cheeks burning with blushes.

Gritting her teeth and refusing to look at his eyes again, she stood up stiffly. "Ah....g'morning. I'm really glad you're awake. I was pretty worried about you, you know." Emily walked over to wash her hands in the open kitchen that connected with her living room and ignored the fact that his head moved slightly so he could keep her in sight. Once her hands and face had a good scrub, she gritted her teeth and went to check on his wounds. She stopped a couple steps away from him.

"My name is Emily. I'm gonna come look at your cuts to make sure they aren't getting infected. I'm sorry about the accommodations..."

He croaked what seemed liked a pained laugh and slightly raised an eyebrow. "It could be worse," he whispered.

Emily gathered up her first aid kit and started with the least offensive thing she could think of, his arm. "Do you remember what happened?" His mouth twisted bitterly. After a long bit of silence he hissed painfully when she peaked under the bandages.

"I'm not asking just to be nosy. You took a pretty hard hit to the head. That can effect memory. I need to know if we have to go get you a CAT scan or somethi-" He violently grabbed her by the neck with his good hand and pulled her close. Instinctively, Emily shoved the pointed edge of the bandage scissors she was holding into his neck.

"You will not take me anywhere." He growled, putting pressure on her throat. In response, she gritted her teeth and dug the scissors deeper into his throat, right where the major blood vessel would be.

"Catch...more...flies...with honey...jackass..." she choked out around his iron grip. He seemed to asses the situation and lightened his grip. She kept the scissors on him until he dropped his hand completely, then she rubbed her neck and glared balefully at him. "That's a mighty nice 'thank you for spending hours carting my ass out of the mountains, for working yourself to exhaustion patching me up, and for giving me a place to rest while I recover'...Seriously, man, what the fuck? I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need help from a lower life form. I am Loki, of Asgard, and a god compared to a pathetic wreck like you." He glared just as balefully back at her. His good hand had gripped into a fist and he looked very much like he wanted to be using that fist on something, anything. 

Emily's face puckered with irritation, then she took a deep breath and counted to five. "So you don't want breakfast? Or something to drink? Or perhaps help moving to the toilet? Very well. I'll just leave you to your god-like perfectness and take care of myself for a bit." She stalked off muttering about how she should add some broken legs to his list of injuries. After grabbing a fresh set of clothes, Emily locked herself in the bathroom and took a nice hot shower. Not that she expected he would be able to walk around after being hurt so badly, but it couldn't hurt to be sure. Once the dried mud and blood had been washed off, she cataloged her own set of bumps and bruises. She didn't remember picking up quite so many. Regardless, the shower did wonders for her mood and once she was dressed she felt ready to take on her surly guest once more.

As she walked out, Loki's face took on the most charming I'm-didn't-mean-to-be-bad-I-was-just-hurt look Emily had ever seen. "Please forgive my atrocious behavior. It was uncalled for. I shouldn't have let my pain get the better of me." His slight smile was hopeful and sweet and would have done a kicked puppy proud.

Emily rolled her eyes and moved to the kitchen to start breakfast. "What a load of bullshit. Pro-tip man, I'll take the harsh truth over a sappy lie any day."

Loki croaked a small laugh of astonishment and his smile changed to a more genuine, if mocking, one. "Noted. I'll be sure to refrain from singing praises of your enchanting beauty. May I please have a glass of water?"

The insult rolled right off of her. It reminded her of a little boy trying to get the last word in on a fight. She grinned a bit in response and poured a glass of water. "A 'may I please' no less! My, my, I don't know how I will acclimate to this astonishing level of courtesy!" 

She helped ease him upright on the arm of the sofa before handing him his cup, carefully making sure he had a good grip on it before letting go. He slowly drank very deeply and handed her back the glass. His small pained smile seemed both amused and real this time as he said, "Thank you."

Emily smiled back. "No problem."


	2. Yet More Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily meets new people and tries to stay busy. Loki makes a promise.

After breakfast, Emily helped Loki to the restroom and back to the couch once he was done. On second thought, I am really fucking happy that his legs aren't broken, Emily thought ruefully. It was already embarrassing enough to help a naked injured man walk to the toilet. Right now she could walk him over there, give him a private moment, and walk him back. If he was unable to stand, or if both of his arms were unusable...her mind rebelled at the thought of doing a bed change for him, or worse yet, helping him aim. Happily, that wasn't an issue.

Once she settled him back in on the couch, she went out to tend to the barn animals. Loki seemed exhausted from the effort and pain involved with even such a short trip. Emily wanted to make some progress with the daily chores while he was asleep. She just knew that he was gonna be a bag full of trouble, and she wanted to be around as much as possible while he was awake.

The average Montana resident has a whole host of farm animals to deal with; ranching is one of the more popular occupations around her part of the state. Emily was a bit different. After the car accident that scarred her and took her fiancee's life, she got a sizable payout from the lawsuit that followed. Her barn held things to help pass the time, rather than her financial lively-hood. Because of that, she only stabled one horse, a cow for milk, and a few chickens for fresh eggs. While this did leave her with some daily barn work to do, it was minimal. She was hoping to be done in under an hour.

Emily had just let out My Lady to pasture for grazing when she spied a black SUV rolling up the distant road and turn down her long driveway. It practically screamed, 'government agents.' Yup. Figures. She sighed and walked out to the parking area near the barn and waited for the vehicle to pull up.

Four people piled out of the SUV; three men and a woman. All of them wore nicely tailored suits, sunglasses, and tight hairstyles. Emily fought to keep her face neutral. Huh. I guess stereotypes exist for a reason. The woman, a dirty blond with light pink lipstick and low heeled dress shoes, came forward first, took off her sunglasses, and raised her badge for Emily to see. "FBI. I'm Agent Kissler, and these are Agents Derrek, Helmsmit, and Resh. Are you Emily Lear? We'd like to speak with you about some falling debris that may have landed in the back acreage of your property."

Emily considered for a moment, but kept her cool. In her experience, the best way to deal with government officials was to be calm, polite, and have no fucks left to give. "Sure, but would you mind followin' me 'round out here? I've got work to do and daylight is burnin'." Agent Kissler and Agent Derrek walked away with her but the other two didn't. Emily pointed her chin back at the parked SUV. "They ain't comin' with?" Normally, Emily didn't speak with a drawl, but now she played it up. People with a heavy drawl were often underestimated as stupid, and right now she'd take any advantage she could get.

Agent Kissler gave a very tight fake smile. "All four of us seems a little like over kill. We're just here to talk." Emily shrugged, grabbed a propped up bag of chicken feed, and went to feed her flock beside the barn. She was certain that the other two agents would be discreetly looking around while she wasn't looking, but at least if she went through the motions of doing yard work she could keep the agents outside, away from her invalid guest. Emily wasn't really sure why she felt the need to protect Loki from these people, but she did.

Maybe it was because he was injured and in her care. Or maybe it was because under all those bruises, he was pretty good looking. Thought she hated to even think it, maybe it was just because she was lonely, and the thought of her guest leaving depressed her, even if he was annoying. She gave an internal shrug and busied herself with tossing seed toward happy chickens. "What can I help you folks with?"

"Yesterday around noon, our satellites picked up several objects falling from space. We believe they landed along the mountain ridge that backs up to your land. Did you notice anything strange yesterday?"

"I sure did see those what-ever-they-were fallin'. Hell, I think everyone in Montana saw them. I was out on My Lady yesterday, so I rode on up to see if I could take a peek." Emily tossed another handful of feed and considered her response. She found that the best way to lie to someone was to tell as much truth as possible. For the first time ever, she was grateful for her facial scars; they made her expressions much harder to read. "T'was weird though, when I got up there."

Agent Kissler leaned forward almost imperceptibly and tilted her head forward, like a hound on the scent. "Weird how?"

Emily gave half a shrug. "Well, now, I don' know much about meteors or falling satellites or nothin', but the big'un, the only one I went ta go look at, the air kinda smelt like oil. So then I thought it might'a been a plane 'r somethin', so I went on up and took a look. But the crater...it was just...empty. Weird. I'll admit, it creeped me right out, 'nd it was getting late in the day 'n all, so I took off. Good thing we had some rain last night, I was mighty worried about fires startin' up back there from the fallin' whatever-it-was. Wild fire's a bad thing, 'round here." She tossed another handful of feed to the clucking hens.

"So you didn't find anything?" Agent Kissler looked suspicious and Agent Derrek was casting surreptitious glances around them, as if something would burst out of the shadows at any moment and attack. 

Emily shrugged. "Jus' a big smokin' hole. I didn't find any other craters, though from the fire trails in the sky there musta been at least a couple." The morning air was filled with quiet hum of insects, birds, and clucking from the hens. Emily drank in the peaceful breeze.

Agent Kissler didn't seem discouraged. "Did you see anyone else coming or going from the area?"

Emily shrugged. "Not that I noticed, but lots o' my neighbor's, they's cattle folk. I let 'em graze on my lands, since I ain't usin' the grass. Good for them, adds to the graze ground. Good for me, keeps the dead growth down. Easier to travel, less chance of wild fire. 'Sides, 'tis a kindness to be good to yer neighbors. It's possible one o' them went back 'n forth and I didn't see. There's a lot o' land back there."

"I see. Would you mind if we went out and took a look for ourselves, Ms. Lear?"

At this, Emily laughed. "Well now, tha's backwoods up there. Ya'll ain't goin' no where with out a horse. If I had more than jus' one, I'd take ya up there, but it's jus' me an' My Lady, and I'm afraid I don't loan her out to no one. If ya'll come back with some mounts, I could guide ya." With that, Emily hauled the partially empty feed bag back to the front of the barn, away from the fenced off area for the chickens. She got in sight of the SUV just in time to see Agents Resh and Helmsmit shift back into position, waiting in front of their transport. Agent Kissler was grinding her teeth a bit and quietly consulting with the other agents. Emily waited politely to the side, slightly leaning on the wooden post fence that ran by the parking area.

Agent Kissler turned to address Emily. "Where might we be able to acquire the use of a few mounts?"

Emily pretended to consider the question while she furiously thought about her next move. "Ya'll might want to try Sisco's place. Ol' Ron Sisco is my neighbor to the south. Now he's a rancher, so I'm not sure how many o' his horses he'll be needed, but I know he's gotta whole stable. He might be willin' ta let you use some, fer a price. Don't be shocked if he insists on comin' with. A good rancher values his horses, and it's unusual to rent 'em out. And ya should be warned; it's a hard ride up ta tha' ridge. Took me damn near all day to get there 'n back, and it ain't smart to be out here at night. Ya'll know how to ride?" Emily allowed a bit of doubt to enter her face as she looked at them.

Agent Kissler once again gave Emily her tight fake smile, "We'll manage. Here is our card if you need to get a hold of us. Please don't hesitate to call us if you see anything unusual. We'll be in touch." And with that, the whole lot piled back in to their SUV and Emily watched them drive south and out of sight.

She briefly checked around the outside of the house to see if anything had been tampered with while she was distracted. Finding nothing obvious, she went inside to check on Loki. He was quietly watching the door with a dagger gently gripped in one hand. Emily glanced at it as she took off her boots at the door and moved the fresh milk to the fridge. "They're gone."

The dagger disappeared out of his hand with a glimmer of green light and he went back to looking tired and battered. Emily washed her hands and sat down at the ottoman in front of Loki. His expression became slightly sardonic. "Here it comes. Time to kick me out or turn me in?"

Emily took off her hat and fiddled with it nervously in her hands. She couldn't meet his gorgeous green eyes; so bright that they almost glowed. "I need your word that you won't intentionally hurt me or mine."

Loki stared at her in disbelief and then croaked out a laugh. "Are you mad? Have you never heard of me? I am Loki, the great war criminal, and you want my word of honor! I cast aside honor long ago, little human."

Emily sighed, still wrestling with herself about this decision. I am an idiot, she thought. I should just call those folks back right now. She ruminated for another minute while Loki quietly croaked laughter at her. Finally, she said, "If you swear on your power and your most beloved memory, I'll believe you."

He sneered at her. "And if I don't? Will it then be time to unceremoniously dump me out with the yard trash, cleared of all shame?"

Emily glanced up and surprised him with a laugh. "Nah, I think I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do anyways. It'd just be nice to know you aren't gonna try and murder me in my sleep." She smiled wickedly at him and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Growing up she had often been told that her wit was too weird, too acidic. Over the years, those flaws had only gotten worse. It made it hard for her to talk to anyone, but Loki just gave her another astonished laugh.

"Mortal, I think you must be mad." He stared at her a while longer, considering her offer. Emily was uncomfortable with his gaze, but she refused to show it. "You know, of course, that I am lying," he said.

"Of course," she replied.

"And I will absolutely betray you as soon as it becomes amusing for me to do so."

"Makes sense to me."

"And any vow I make is as empty as the endless void of space."

"Absolutely."

He looked at her in puzzlement. Tired of the scrutiny, Emily gave up on an answer and got them both a fresh glass of water from the fridge. Loki was still staring at her as she sat back down on the ottoman and replaced his empty glass with a full one. When she pulled her hand away from the glass, he grabbed her wrist, startling her. His eyes bored into her as he whispered harshly, "Why? Why help me?" The anger in his voice held a hint of bitterness and desperation; emotions Emily knew all too well.

"I...I don't know. I think it's because I like talking to you." She felt her own face twist bitterly. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

Loki loosened his grip on her wrist, but continued to hold on. After a moment, he spoke quietly, "I swear on my power and the memory of my mother's lessons that I will not intentionally harm you or yours." He dropped her wrist and looked away from her, as if suddenly uncomfortable with their closeness.

Emily's breath caught in her throat. After a moment she nodded, afraid to say thank you, and left him to rest on his own for a while.


	3. Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chores are finished, lunch is consumed, and some difficult subjects are discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be a bit of a tea snob. And if it's not already obvious, the quote near the end is from Moby Dick.

Emily spent the rest of the morning finding things to do. Coming up with a task to fill the endless hours was a favorite pastime of hers to begin with, but now it took on a strange frenzy. By the time early afternoon rolled around, she had weeded the veggi garden, cycled and folded laundry, washed the dishes, and picked up the dead branches in the yard around her house and set them aside for the fireplace. Between every task she would pause to see if Loki needed a drink or rest room trip, and then sink into a chair in the living room. It only took a couple minutes of awkward silence filling the room for her to desperately start thinking of what else she could possibly do to keep her busy and out of the living room.

At one o'clock her stomach growled and she realized that her morning omelet wore off hours ago. Loki opened his eyes when she came into the room and watched her as she moved around the open floor of the living room and kitchen. He always seemed to be thinking when he was looking around; his gaze held a weight to it. She smiled to cover up her vague discomfort. "Hey there! Would you like some lunch?"

He smiled mockingly at her. "Amaze me with your culinary prowess, or at least what passes for it in these parts." Even though it had only been about twenty-four hours since his spectacular fall from who-knows-where, he looked and sounded better. His voice was clear, if soft, and most of the swelling on his face had gone away. Even the bruising looked better; as if it had been healing for a week rather than a day.

Emily laughed a bit in response and grinned wickedly at him. "You're damn lucky I don't follow what passes for 'gourmet cooking' around here. Everything covered in gravy, and I do mean everything." She worked as she joked with him, making a variety of tiny tea sandwiches from soft breads, cheeses, meats, and fresh produce from the garden. "Now gravy on potatoes is pretty good, but gravy over eggs, sandwiches, pretty much any kind of meat, and even paired with cooked vegetables...." She shook her head dramatically and started heating up some hot water for tea and prepared one of her favorite loose leaf varieties. "And if you can deep fry it as well, that's a plus." She wandered over to get his water glass for a refill and was pleased to see he was smiling a bit at her wit. 

"And yet I see you have survived."

A short laugh bubbled out of her. "Yeah. It seems so. Would you like some tea with your food?"

Loki's smile died as his gaze turned inward. "Would I like...What I would like is to be free of these injuries. What I would like is to see my imbecilic oaf of a brother broken and weeping beneath my boots. What I would like is to be the ruler of Asgard as I should have been!" He bared his teeth in a snarling bitter smile and looked at Emily. "But no. No, apparently, these things are not for me. There is no happiness for Loki. No honors. No glory. All of that is reserved for an over sized idiot with a hammer. So, yes, I suppose I will have some tea with lunch." His last words ended pleasantly as the hate and the hurt that filled the core of him slithered back beneath the surface.

She stood unmoving through his outburst and after he was done she paused a moment considering what to say. Hmmm. Not right now, she thought. Best to give it a minute and wait when he's more relaxed to give some feedback. Anything she said right now would be considered an attack. So she shrugged and said, "Tea it is. Today's variety is Ti Kuan Yin Oolong."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she cleared off the end table that Loki's water glass sat on and moved it a bit so he could more easily reach it. The mountain of books that was on the table were simply stashed on the floor. For her own seating, Emily shifted the nearest reading chair up to the table so she could sit opposite Loki. At breakfast she had simply given him a plate of food and a tray to set it on, but Emily had something a little more elaborate in mind for lunch. Once she was all done with her set up, the little end table was covered with tasty treats; the tiny tea sandwiches, sliced vegetables, and some berries. Everything was designed to be easily consumed with only one free available hand. She poured them both some fresh tea and motioned to the food, "Dig in." She led by example and began filling her own little plate with goodies.

Loki gingerly sat a bit straighter and slowly began to do the same. He cast a glance at her and said, "I thought humans prayed before they ate?"

Now it was Emily's turn to grimace bitterly. "Ha, no. I gave up that shit a long time ago. What would be the point? If God, or Gods, do exist, they clearly don't give a crap about us."

He smirked. "Oh, is this where you tell me about whatever terrible event that scarred your face?"

Emily raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually, I was thinking I'd tell you about how anger and bitterness eat you up inside until there's nothing left. You got to let that stuff go, or it will control you for the rest of your life." Loki's face turned angry, but before he could say anything she interrupted him. "Not so fun when someone is picking at you, is it?" She popped a blueberry into her mouth and looked at him expectantly.

His answer practically dripped venom and and menace. "I could kill you, you know. Even now, weak as I am, I could strip the skin from your skull and dine on your eyes."

She took a drink from her tea and said calmly, "You could do that at any time anyways, regardless of what I say, so I might as well say what I want. I don't talk much to, well, pretty much anyone any more, and I don't feel the need to sugar coat things or lie. It's a huge waste of time. No reason to change that with you. On the bright side, at least you know I'll always be honest with you." She smiled at him and started nibbling on a little ham and whiskey cheddar sandwich square.

Loki still looked pissed. After a few moments he settled into silently eating lunch. Silence during a meal was something Emily was familiar with, so this turn of events didn't overly bother her. She refilled his tea cup when he emptied it, but otherwise left him alone.

After she was finished eating, Emily relaxed a bit in her chair and enjoyed her tea. This particular type of oolong had a very nutty flavor and a slight dryness to it that was pleasant after the richness of some of the tea sandwiches. Loki must have gotten over his brief rage, because he was studying her from across the end table. His voice was so soft that she almost missed it when he started speaking again.

"I hate him, you know. My brother. Every time I thought I had accomplished something, he was there to take it away from me and everyone loved him for it. I could see all of the problems he never thought of, but no one would listen, and then when things inevitably went badly, it was always my fault. We were supposed to be family and they all lied to me for years and quietly laughed behind my back. I am entitled to my hate. It is all I have left."

Emily quietly thought about this for a moment and replied, " 'All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it.' "

As Loki processed this, she added, "I think you can still find some happiness out there; a real and long lasting peace, not tainted by pain or sadness or loss. The question is, do you want it?"

His brilliant eyes glistened and his voice was rough with pain. "What do you know of it? You sit here, wounded and alone in this dwelling surrounded by nothing. Where is your happiness?"

Emily shifted her jaw a bit and then pretended to smile. "I don't know anything, I guess." With that, she started returning plates to the kitchen and setting the living room to rights. After she moved the end table back into place, she cracked a real grin. "We're quite a pair, you know. All pissed off and unhappy with nothing to do about it. Ha! It's actually kind of funny when you think about it."

Loki cast a withering glance at her. "You find very strange things amusing."

"I've been told that before," she said smirking, then wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Now, do you think you're up for trying on some pants?"


End file.
